Soft Power, the ability to influence by a show of culture, wealth, and education has a long history. Kings and Cardinals had palaces with the best of art well set out, and often helped writers and artists to increase the king's influence.
Today, the term "Soft Power" in international relations is associated with the writings of the political scientist Joseph Ney who died on 6 May 2025. Joseph Ney and I were students at Princeton University at the same time, mid-1950s. We knew each other then, and I have read some of his articles when he headed the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in the 1990s.
Some countries, such as England and France, have long used soft power as an instrument of colonial control. The colonial military of England and France was very small in contrast to the vast territories and population under their control. Both countries claimed that they "were bringing civilization to the natives" - and many of the "natives" believed them. Universities in England and France educated many of the leaders and civil servants of what became independent states, and these leaders continued to stress the importance of English and French culture.
The Soviet Union tried to develop soft power by creating a university for students from developing countries, but the Soviet Union had very limited sucess. Russian culture was largely pre-Soviet. It is impossible to turn Tolstoy into a Marxist.
Joseph Ney was stressing the concept of soft power for use by the United States in the present. The old "American Dream" which had brought many migrants to the U.S.A. had faded. U.S. military might was at the heart of NATO strategy, but military might has its limits as was seen in Vietnam and Afghanistan. The U.S. government had a good number of educational and cultural programs - now under tension by the new administration. However U.S. soft power was never really organized in a strategic way, although people in many countries were facinated by U.S. popular culture.
China has also seen the possible impact of soft power and has opened a good number of cultural institutes - Confucious Centers - and has encouraged foreign students to come to China. However, although Chinese culture has its own long history, it is difficult for people of other cultures to assimilate.
The impact of soft power is real, and thus merits watching closely for its use by different governments.
René Wadlow, Association of World Citizens
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